6

Is the song Soma, by The Strokes, referencing Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley?

I am of the opinion that it is, but I am not 100 percent sure. Any info on this would be appreciated.

Improve this question
1

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
10

I hate to give you a Wikipedia answer, but the article on the album (that you, in fact, reference in the question) indicates that it is.

To quote from the Lyrics section:

"Soma" takes influence from Aldous Huxley's 1932 novel Brave New World and its featured imaginary drug, soma. Here Casablancas is discussing drug use in order to fit in with the cool crowd.[**31]

The footnote for this is:
Hammond, Albert, Jr. (Oct 26, 2013). "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Number Four - The Strokes". I P C ignite! Ltd. NME - New Musical Express. p. 83.

Unfortunately, it's not online (that I can find), so I can't validate it beyond this. That said, the lyrics seem to support this explanation.

Improve this answer
2
  • Thanks! In regards to the reference I merely corrected an edit that someone else made.
    – user59625
    Jan 20, 2016 at 4:29
  • 1
    To add to the above answer, and which I would have expected, given that soma is not a current English word, I would also say that Huxley took the term from ancient Indian literature where soma was used in offerings to the gods.
    – Mozibur Ullah
    Nov 17, 2020 at 12:28

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.